Method and apparatus for making and processing soap



Sept. 2, 1941. B. CLAYTON 2,254,996

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND PROCESSING SOAP Original Filed Jan. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l awe/M040 flezy'amz); fla y/011 my mu ,m, M

p 1941- B. CLAYTON 2,254,996

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND PROCESSING SOAP Original Filed Jan. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

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EI:EI 58 0D 63 Patented Sept. 2, 1941 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING AND PROCESSING SOAP Benjamin Clayton, .Houston, Tex, asslgnor to Refining Nevada Inc., Reno, Nev., a corporation of Original application January 5, 1937. Serial No.

Divided and this application Decemher 7, 1938, Serial No. 244,460

3 Claims.

One feature of the invention is the production of a friable soap as an intermediate or final prodnot and which has new characteristics differentiating it from soaps now known.

In producing this friable product substantially anhydrous soap is cooled from molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition, preferably while out of contact with the atmosphere or oxidizing agents, to form a solidified soap having incipient planes of fracture throughout. Upon extrusion this soap breaks up almost entirely into a powder or into small masses which are easily crushed into a fine powder. This friable soap has unexpected properties in that it can be directly and uniformly hydrated by adding water thereto.

It will uniformly absorb water in considerable amount as distinct from ordinary drastically dried soap powders which will form a gel when such an amount of water is added and thus cannot be uniformly hydrated when water is added thereto. This friable soap, as well as a novel method and apparatus for producing same, is a part of the present invention.

In the preferred mode of operation the soap is produced continuously. It may be delivered from the apparatus in powder or flake form and having the desired moisture content, or it may be continuously produced in the form of bars or cakes. In this connection the friable soap may be produced as an intermediate product, if desired, by cooling the soap from molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition while it is substantially anhydrous, water being later added in controlled amount. This mode of operation is a part of the present invention, as well as the production of friable soap as an end product.

In forming the friable soap any suitable method can be used for forming a mass of soap which is in molten, plastic or semi-plastic condition. The soap should be substantially anhydrous, containing at most not more than a very few per cent of water. It is brought into this condition by application of heat, and extreme fluidity immediately preceding cooling is not requisite. The soap should be kept from the atmosphere while at the high temperatures necessary, thus preventing oxidation, discoloring, and other deleterious reactions. If the soap-making materials used are of such character as to form glycerine, this glycerine can be advantageously removed in whole or in part before cooling the mass, and a mass of molten, plastic, or semi-plastic soap will usually contain no great proportion of glycerine. However, the friable nature of the product is apparamounts of glycerine, if this is desired in the finished soap.

The next step is to cool this soap from its molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition in such manner that incipient planes of fracture extend throughout the cooled mass, making it extremely friable. This cooling can best be accomplished during continuous movement of the soap, and it is important that the moisture content of the soap should not be greatly increased prior to cooling, otherwise the friable nature of the soap will be destroyed.

The resulting product will break up largely into soap powder if the stream of friable soap isextruded, and any remaining masses can be readily broken up by application of small crushing pressure.

The resulting powder, or the masses of friable soap not yet disintegrated into a powder, have the unexpected property of directly and uniformly absorbing moisture even though it is a drastically dried product. A desired amount of water may be added to a mass of the soap and gentle miidng will cause uniform hydration of the soap. On the other hand, the water may be supplied to the soap continuously as fast as produced, if a continuous process is utilized.

However, the method and apparatus is not limited to the production of this friable soap as an intermediate or final product and many features are new regardless of this use. For instance, the system for removing the soap from the vacuum chamber and subsequently processing the soap is new, as is also the cooling system which permits attenuation of the soap to facilitate removal of heat therefrom. So also, the method of introducing the reaction products into the vacuum chamber is new, and the complete system permits hydration and addition of builders or other material during continuous movement of the soap.

Other new features forming a part of the invention will be evident from the following description.

One convenient and very satisfactory apparatus for making and processing soap of this friable ornon-friable character is disclosed in the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the complete apparatus, partially in section.

Fig. 2 is a section of the conveyor system taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one form of valve, being taken as indicated by the lines 3-3 of ently not destroyed by presence of material Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a view of one type of member extending into the conveyor for breaking up the soap stream, being taken as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is taken as indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and shows one of the cooling grids.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-6 of Fig. 1.

Ihe materials used in the process include a saponifiable material which may be any material capable of being saponified to form soap, for instance, various fats, glyceride-type oils, greases, etc. The saponifying material may be any material which will act with the saponiflable material to form reaction products including soap and a vaporizable material, such, for instance, as glycerine or water, or both. Examples of such saponifying materials are aqueous alkaline solutions of caustic soda, caustic potash, etc. In using the apparatus disclosed, these materials are respectively contained in tanks 10 and Ii and may be therein heated to increase the fluidity or facilitate satisfactory mixing.

Proportioned quantities of these materials are mixed in any suitable way. In the continuous system shown, proportioned streams are withdrawn by pumps 12 and i3 and delivered to a mixer l4 through closed conduits. The pumps may be interconnected by a variable-speed means [6a to control the proportions. The mixer l4 may be of any suitable type and mechanical mixers can be used, though a satisfactory mixture can be obtained by injecting one material into a stream of the other as it flows through a chamber of the mixer i4. In the continuous system shown the pumps develop sufiicient pressure to force the mixture through the heating zone.

This mixture moves through a pipe l5 to any suitable type of heater IS, the pipe I5 being equipped with suitable devices i1 and I8 to indicate the pressure and temperature of the mixture. Various types of heaters can be used which provide a heating zone through which the mixture continuously flows. The type illustrated is particularly suited to a continuous process and includes a coil of pipe l9 heated by a burner or by any other heating means. A suitable thermostat may be used to control the amount of heat applied.

In the heating zone defined by the coil l9 complete saponification takes place under heat and pressure and the reaction products discharging through a pipe 22 comprise a mixture of soap, water, and glycerine in the event that an aqueous alkaline solution was used as the saponifying material. In this pipe the water will be in the form of steam, and the glycerine will be either in liquid or vapor state in whole or in part. The pipe 22 is equipped with a pressure gauge 23 and a thermometer 24.

These reaction products are continuously discharged into a separating chamber 25 through a valve 26 and a nozzle 21 which may be used to throttle the flow if desired. However, in some instances no throttling action at this point is necessary. The nozzle 21 is preferably so directed that the soap in the reaction products impinges against the walls of the chamber 25 and moves downward therealong as a thin stream. This nozzle may be tangentially directed if desired, in which event the soap may move downward in a curved path.

In the chamber 25 vapors of water or glycerine or both separate from the soap and move through a pipe 29 to a condenser system it it is desired to condense the vapors. If both water and glycerine vapors are present, it is possible to fractionally condense same by use of a glycerine condenser 30 and a water condenser 3!. The condensed glycerine moves downward through a barometric column 32 with its lower end submerged in glycerine in a tank 33, this barometric column being of sufficient height to balance the low pressure maintained in the chamber 25. The water vapors are condensed in the condenser 3| and move through a barometric column 34 to a tank 35. A vacuum pump 36 is connected to the condenser 3i and maintains a low pressure in the chamber 25 by forcibly withdrawing the vapors therefrom.

To facilitate separation of vapors in the chamber 25, heat may be supplied to this chamber either internally or externally, or both. A jacket 40 surrounds this chamber and is preferably covered with a heat-insulating cover 4|. Any suitable hot medium can be circulated through this Jacket. Heat may be supplied internally by introducing a hot vaporous material, such as steam or hot inert gases, through a pipe 42. Such steam or hot inert gas introduced into the chamber 25 exerts its own partial pressure and facilitates removal of glycerine vapors from the soap if it is desired that the glycerine content of the finished soap be low. Sufilcient heat is applied, either in the heater IE or in the chamber 25, or both, to insure that the soap reaches the bottom of the chamber 25 in molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition.

A rotating scraper 45, suitably driven, moves the soap from the bottom wall of the chamber 25 into two troughs 41 extending transversely across this chamber and forming a part of the conveyor system. Each of these troughs can be heated or cooled as desired by circulation through jackets 48 extending therearound.

Extending as a continuation of each trough is a conveyor housing 49 of cylindrical shape, and a suitably driven soap-advancing screw 50 is positioned in each housing and extends into the corresponding trough 41. Each screw provides a shaft 5| driven by a gear 52, and provides a helical vane 53 of a diameter only very slightly smaller than the conveyor housing 49 so as to continuously force the soap into a chamber 55. If desired, each screw 50 may be formed in flights, separated by spaces receiving members 56 which extend into the conveyor housing. To make each of the members 58 removable and adjustable, it may extend through a nipple 58, being carried by a cap 59 threaded to the nipple as shown in Fig. 4. These members serve to break up the soap stream, and serve to mill or plod the soap during advancement. This construction thus provides conveyors 60 and 6! for continuously removing the soap from the chamber 25. In some instances a single conveyor is sufficient.

Each conveyor is preferably provided with a pipe 62 which returns to the chamber 25 any vapors which may separate from the soap while in the conveyor.

It is desirable to cool the soap while in the conveyors 60 and GI. A cooling medium may be circulated through a jacket 83 surrounding each conveyor housing 49. In addition, it is often desirable to internally cool the annular stream of soap moving in each conveyor. In this capacity, the shaft 5i of each conveyor is hollow and a pipe 64 extends therein. A cooling medium, such as water, may be forced into the pipe 88 and discharged into a space 65 surrounding a sleeve 88, this water returning through the annular space 81 around the pipe 68 inside the shaft 8|, being ultimately discharged through a head 88.

It is often desirable to make that end of the shaft 8| next the chamber 55 of larger diameter, to provide an enlargement or head 89. This decreases the available space for the soap and acts to compress same. In addition, it causes attenuation of the soap, thus facilitating cooling thereof.

The heat conductivity of the soap in such a soap stream is quite low and in many instances it is desirable to further cool the soap by moving this soap stream through one or more cooling grids 18 and 1| which may extend through the chamber 55. Each of these cooling grids is formed of a plurality of pipes positioned close- 'to each other so that the soap must move through the rather small spaces therebetween. Water or other cooling medium is circulated through these pipes, for instance, by connecting these pipes to headers 13 such as shown in Fig. 5. By thus further attenuating the soap very eflicient cooling may be obtained.

The two soap streams discharged from the conveyors 88 and GI move into an intersecting conveyor 88, the chambers 55 opening on a passage formed in a conveyor housing 8| in which a screw 82 rotates. This screw is formed similarly to the screw 58, providing an enlarged head 83 and being hollow so that water or other cooling liquid can be circulated therethrough when introduced into a pipe 88, this water being discharged through a pipe 85. The screw 82 is similarly formed in flights between which members corresponding to the members 58 extend. The soap is thus milled and plodded during passage through the conveyor 88 and is further compressed by the enlarged head 88 before discharge into a chamber 88. The conveyor housing 8| is jacketed as indicated by the numeral 81 and a cooling medium is circulated through this jacket to further cool the soap. The screw 82 is turned as by a gear 88 preferably at a faster rate than the screws 58, especially as it is desirable to make the conveyor housing 8| somewhat smaller in diameter than the conveyor housing 89. In addition, the helical vane forming a part of the screw 82 is preferably of smaller pitch near the conveyor 68 than throughout the remainder of its length, this smaller pitched portion being indicated by the numeral 89.

If desired, the soap may be delivered from the chamber 88 into the atmosphere, being extruded through a valve 98, the subsequent portion of the equipment illustrated being disconnected.

This mode of operation can .be utilized if the soap has been cooled to such an extent that exposure to the atmosphere will not result in deleterious reactions, such as discoloring or spontaneous combustion. Depending upon operating conditions in the preceding part of the system, the soap thus discharged from the valve 98 may be a friable mass which breaks up wholly or in part upon extrusion.

The valve 98 may be of any suitable type, being illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 as including a gate 9| pivoted at 92 and adjusted by an arm 93 so as to extend partially across the chamber 86. This valve acts in part as a vacuum seal. being preferably adjusted so that the available opening through which the soap discharges is completely filled by the soap stream. Thus, even if the chamber 28 is under a high vacuum, no air will move rearward through the conveyors to impairthevacuuminthischamber. Inthis connection, the soap stream in the conveyor 88 acts as a vacuum seal, and if the chamber 25 is maintained under high vacuum, pressure on the soap will progressively increase during flow through the conveyor system described.

In many instances it is preferable to continue the processing of the soap beyond the valve 98 for purposes of hydration, addition of builders or fillers, etc. Thus, the soap moving through the valve 98 may move directly into a conveyor I88, or may drop thereinto through a member I8I.

This conveyor provides a screw I 82 which may be rather loose fitting and which is rotated to further plod and advance the soap. If desired, various builders or fillers may be introduced into the soap at this time, for instance, by moving same under pressure through a pipe I83. Such material may be moved along the pipe I88 and into the soap by use of a screw rotating in this pipe. Materials thus introduced into the conveyor III will be intimately mixed with the soap therein. The conveyor I88 builds up sufllcient pressure to .extrude the soap through one or more orifices, preferably through a perforated plate I88, into a housing I88.

The soap emergers from the openings of the perforated plate and drops as a powder or in small masses into a throat formed between rotating rolls I81 and I88 where any masses of soap are crushed and where the soap is further attenuated and compressed into a thin layer. These rolls are hollow to provide chambers I88 and a cooling medium is circulated through these chambers. This is an excellent way of further cooling the soap, for heat can be taken from the thin layer of soap to effectively cool all portions thereof. In this connection, it is sometimes preferable to operate the system in such a manner that the soap discharged through the valve 98 is still at quite a high temperature, even so high that deleterious reactions might be set up therein if exposed to the atmosphere for a prolonged time. The rolls I81 and I88 will further cool the soap, and the housing I85 shields the soap from direct and prolonged contact with. the atmosphere.

It is often possible to use the rolls I81 and I88 for hydrating the soap, especially if the soap is of such a nature that water can be directly added thereto to be uniformly adsorbed thereby. In this connection, the entire external length of the roll I81 may be wetted by water sprayed thereon or supplied through an elongated nozzle 2 to form a layer or film of water along this external surface. Any excess water above the desired quantity may be removed by a scraper II3 extending along this external surface and adjustable in radial position relative thereto. This scraper II8 may be mounted on one or more screws Ill, and nuts I I5 may be used to vary the distance between the wiping edge and the periphery of the roll I81 to form a film of water on the roll of a desired thickness. Any excess water drains from the housing I85 through a trough H8. As the film of moisture comes into contact with the soap the water is uniformly taken up by the soap, the squeezing action of the rolls acting to further distribute the water uniformly.

The soap drops from between the rolls I81 and I88, or is scraped therefrom by scrapers H8, and moves into a hopper II9 which discharges into a throat formed by rolls I2! and III which are also hollow so that a cooling medium can be circulated therethrough. If desired, further moisture can be applied at this point.

The soap drops from between the rolls I25 and I 2!, or is scraped therefrom by scrapers I24, and reaches a belt conveyor I25 which extends through a small opening of the housing I05 and conducts the soap to a hopper I25. The soap at this point may be in powdered or flake form and if desired may be marketed as such. However, if it is desired to form the soap into a bar the hopper I25 may discharge into an extruding device which will compact the soap and extrude same through an orifice I28. A screw I29 rotating in a housing Ill may serve to compact the soap into a homogeneous mass, supplying sufficient pressure to extrude the soap as a continuous stream through the orifice I28. This stream of soap may be cut into bars as desired.

In general, it can be said that this system can be operated to produce various different forms and types of soap. Proper control of pressure and temperature conditions at various points in the system will largely control in this regard, and the condition of the soap in the bottom of the chamber 25 is one important factor. Primarily, the temperature and pressure conditions in the coil I5 and in the chamber 25 control the character of this soap which is withdrawn from the lower end of the chamber 25.

It will be clear that the pressure in the coil I! decreases progressively from the inlet end to the exit end due primarily to pipe friction retarding the flow. For instance, when using the throttling nozzle 21 the pressure in the pipe 22 may be in the neighborhood of 50 lbs. per sq. in. or even considerably more if desired, while the pressure in the pipe I5 may be much higher, often ashighas350to-i50lbs.persq.in. Ifno throttling action is desired the vacuum in the chamber 25 will carry back a considerable distance into the coil I9. From the angle of temperature, it will be clear that this temperature increases progressively during flow through the coil I9.

These conditions of temperature and pressure in the coil I! should be so regulated as to give complete saponiflcation therein. In addition, all of the water, and all or at least a part of the glycerine, should be vaporized in the coil I! if the friable soap product is to be produced. If the flow of reaction products is throttled, as by the nozzle 21 or the valve 26, some or all of the remaining unvaporized glycerine will flash into vapor at the lower pressure existing in the chamber 25. Such a vacuum condition in this chamber is very desirable in that it reduces the boiling point of the glycerine and permits the soap to be withdrawn from the chamber in substantially glycerine-free condition if desired. The presence of steam in the chamber 25 will further lower the boiling point of the glycerine due to the law of partial pressures.

The friable nature of the soap results from cooling same from a molten, plastic, or semiplastic condition. Such a condition can sometimes be brought about by utilizing sufficient heat in the coil I9 and without adding additional heat in the chamber 25 but it has been very desirable to utilize a heating medium in the jacket I especially when starting up the apparatus and preferably throughout continuous operation thereof. Application of heat to this chamber will amuse decrease the necessary temperature in the coil II and will insure that the soap withdrawn from the lower end of this chamber will be in molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition.

It will thus be apparent that no definite range of temperatures and pressures in the coil I9 can be named, for these will vary with the temperature and pressure in the chamber 25 and also with the particular saponifiable material utilized. Further, no definite temperatures can be set forth as necessary for maintaining the soap in molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition, for these temperatures will vary with different soaps. In gen eral, however, it can be said that soaps made from cotton-seed oil should be at a temperature above about 455 F., and soaps made from palm oil or tallow should usually be at temperature above 518 F. if such soaps are to be in molten condition. Somewhat lower temperatures are permissible if the soap is to be in plastic or semiplastic condition.

The temperature of the reaction products in the pipe 22 may be above these values, for some cooling of the soap takes place in the chamber 25 unless a large amount of heat is added at this time. Some cooling is not detrimental, for it has been found that the soap when once molten can be cooled somewhat without changing it from molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition. In fact, molten soap can be reduced to a temperature somewhat below that necessary to bring it into molten condition and yet be quite fluid. If no large amount of heat is added in the chamber 25, best operating temperatures in the pipe 22 will often be above 500 F. if the soap is to be in molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition in the bottom of this chamber. With many saponiiiable materials, best results have been obtained when temperatures in the pipe 22 were as high as 570 F. or even higher, when no large amount of heat was added to the chamber 25.

The preferred mode of operation is to use coil temperatures sufficiently high that the soap reaching the side walls of the chamber 25 will be quite fluid so as to readily move downward therealong. This facilitates separation of vapors from the soap due to the fact that this soap moves downward as a relatively thin layer, thus exposing a large surface to the low-pressure in the chamber 25. This feature of flowing the soap along the walls of the chamber 25 also prolongs the time necessary for the soap to reach the bottom of this chamber and thus give additional time for vapors to separate. The tendency for this downward-flowing soap to somewhat cool can be attributed to loss of heat by radiation, or to vaporization of glycerine during this downward movement. However, even if no large amount of heat is added to the chamber 25, this cooling usually does not exceed 50 F., and can be made much smaller or even eliminated, if sumcient heat is added to this chamber. Application of sufficient heat to the chamber 25 may even slightly increase the temperature of the soap.

The controlling factor is that the soap in the bottom of the chamber 25 should be in molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition preparatory to cooling. In the system shown, the soap will be substantially anhydrous and will usually contain little, if any, glycerine.

Cooling of such soap to form the friable mass should preferably be accomplished while out of contact with the atmosphere, for soap in molten.

plastic, or semiplastic condition will quickly oxidize or discolor if exposed to air. Rapid cooling is preferable. With the system shown it is possible to cool the soap in a short time, usually between four and twenty minutes, depending upon the length of the conveyors and the amount of soap moving through the system. While slower cooling can sometimes be used, it has been found that rapid cooling is preferable in that it assists in forming the incipient planes of fracture throughout the soap which results in its friable nature. Attenuation of the soap prior to or dur-v ing cooling will greatly facilitate rapid cooling, and the internal and external cooling of the soap streams in the conveyors, in conjunction with the cooling grids I and II will be found very effective for this purpose. In addition, cooling on rolls is even more eifective in this regard.

By way of example, the system can be used to produce the friableanci directly hydratable soap mentioned above by operating under the following temperatures and pressures given. With a saponifiable material comprising 70% tallow and 30% cocoanut oil, and with a solution of 31 B. caustic solution as a saponifying material, pressures in the pipe l have been used between 350 and 450 lbs. per sq. in. with a coil l9 composed of pipe of 4" internal diameter and about 550.

ft. long. These pressures will be difl'erent with coils of different length and internal diameter. The pressure in the pipe 22 may be about 50 lbs. per sq. in. though this is not critical, and the temperature therein in this example may be from 560 to 570 F. The reaction products will be discharged through the nozzle 21 against the walls of the chamber 25, the soap under these conditions being sufficiently molten to run down these walls. Due to expansion and radiation losses, the temperature of the soap in the bottom of the chamber 25 will be in the neighborhood of 500 F. or somewhat higher, the temperature in the jacket 40 being about 530 F. A vacuum of 27-28 inches of mercury in the chamber 25 will permit removal of substantially all of the glycerine in this example. This soap is cooled in the conveyors 60, El and 80 to produce a friable soap. If this cooling is sufllcient to prevent deleterious reactions upon exposure to the atmosphere, the resulting stream of friable soap can be discharged from the valve 90 directly into the atmosphere.

Very satisfactory results can be obtained by such operation and an exceptionally fine quality of soap can be produced. Under these conditions, it has been found possible to make a friable soap which is directly hydratable by adding water thereto, this soap being substantially anhydrous and substantially glycerine free when it is thus discharged from the valve 90. This stream of friable soap will mostly break up upon extrusion through this valve, forming powdered soap. Some friable soap masses may be formed upon extrusion but can be easily crushed to produce a fine powder. Considerable water can be added to this powder and by any simple mixing operation it will be uniformly absorbed to produce a soap powder hydrated. to the desired extent. The amount of hydration .thus possible varies with different soaps, but with most soaps 8 to 20% or more water can be added in this way either in a single step or in successive steps.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to cool the soap while in the conveyors to such an extent that it can be discharged into the atmosphere from the valve 90. By way of example, it can continue its movement by moving through the friable nature.

conveyor I00, being further cooled on the rolls I01 and H18, and being hydrated at this point. The soap will drop in flake or powdered form from the rolls I01 and I08 and can be used in this form, or it can be further cooled on the rolls I20 and I 2| and additional water can be added at this point, if desired. The soap is then withdrawn by the belt conveyor I25 and is ready for use. If bar soap is desired, this product can be moved through the extrusion device I30, being extruded as a bar through the orifice I28. This bar can be cut up to form cakes.

The hydratable character of this soap is not changed by adding various fillers or builders in the conveyor I00. Further, the presence of some glycerine does not in itself defeat this hydratable characteristic, though best results have been obtained when substantially all of the glycerine has been removed.

The system herein disclosed can be used to continuously make other types of soap of a non- For instance, if lower temperatures are used in the coil IS, the soap can be collected in powdered or granular form in the chamber 25 and withdrawn by the conveyor system shown. So also, if the absolute pressure in the chamber 25 is higher this type of soap" may be collected in the chamber 25 even with the coil temperatures mentioned above. Such powdered or granular soap may still contain all or a portion of the glycerine if desired, and all or a portion of the water may be allowed to remain therein under proper conditions of temperature and pressure in the system. As before, this type of soap will be continuously withdrawn by the conveyors 60, iii, and 80, being cooled therein. If cooled to a sufllcient degree, this soap can be discharged into the atmosphere through the valve in the form of a temporarily adhering mass of soap particles. Alternatively, the soap can be delivered from the valve 90 to the conveyor )0, and fillers or builders may be there added. This soap may thus be conditioned in a continuous process so that when it is discharged through the perforated plate- I04, it is in condition for use.

If powdered or granular soap is withdrawn from the chamber 25, this soap may be hydrated one or more of the conveyors is to be avoided if' the friable and uniformly hydratable soap is to be produced. However, this method of hydration can be successfully used with other types of soap. If used, it is sometimes preferable to introduce the water while the soap is still at such temperature that the water will be vaporized, thus more uniformly distributing the water.

The hydrated soap resulting from this mode of operation may be used as delivered from the perforated plate IM, or may be compressed into bars in an extruding device. So also, the soap thus extruded through the perforated plate I04 may be compressed between the rolls shown to form flakes which may be used in this form or compressed into a bar if desired. In' this instance the soap reaching the rolls will already be hydrated and the rolls need not serve this function of adding water to the soap.

If a powdered soap is to be collected in the chamber 25, one or more baiiies may be provided in the upper end so that the vapors move through a tortuous path. This will tend to separate any minute particles which might tend to be carried upward with the vapors. Such baiiies are usually not necessary if the process is so operated as to produce molten, plastic, or semi-plastic soap in the chamber 2!. Regardless of whether the soap is withdrawn from the chamber 15 in molten, plastic, semi-plastic or powdered condition, the conveyor system will continuously withdraw this soap without impairing any vacuum which exists in this chamber, for the soap and the valve II will act toseal this chamber from the atmosphere.

The system disclosed has wide utility in making various types of soap from various ingredients, and the present invention has novelty in the process, the apparatus, and the friable soap product produced.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 119,168 originally filed January 5, 1937, as a joint application of Benjamin Clayton and Benjamin H. Thurman, and now Patent No. 2,190,615, granted February 13, 1940 to Beniamin H. Thurman.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for withdrawing substantially anhydrous soap in molten, plastic, or semi-plastic condition from a chamber and cooling said soap, which comprises, a soap conducting housing communicating with said chamber, means for moving a stream of soap from said chamber along said housing, means for sealing said housing to seal said chamber from the atmosphere during withdrawal of said soap, including sta tionary pipe means extending across the space of said housing adjacent the outlet thereof to form a grid through which said soap is moved, and means for circulating a cooling medium through said pipe means to cool said soap.

2. The method of processing soap which comprises the steps of withdrawing as a stream substantially glycerine free soap in a highly heated condition from a container through a passageway sealed from the atmosphere, and forcing the same through a grid-like structure while advancing a cooling medium through said structure whereby to cool said soap as the same is discharged from the chamber and seal said container from the atmosphere.

3. The steps in the method of making soap and recovering glycerine therefrom which comprise the withdrawal of soap in a substantially glycerine free and anhydrous condition from a vapor separating chamber through a closed passageway and forcing the same between a series of spaced cooling pipes interposed in the line of movement thereof whereby the soap is cooled continuously during its withdrawal and before contact with the atmosphere and said chamber is sealed from the atmosphere during said withdrawal.

BENJAMIN CLAYTON. 

